Recent studies show that employers are increasingly hiring more contingent workers to meet talent shortages. HR leaders expect this trend to continue growing as the U.S. gets closer to full employment.

Based on a survey of 400 human resources leaders, a report from Randstad Sourceright found that over the next year, nearly two-thirds of employers are likely to adopt a workforce composition model that uses more contingent workers. Another survey from Staffing Industry Analysts found that U.S. employers reported that an average of 22 percent of their workforce was contingent.

This shift toward hiring more freelance talent can help recruiters access a larger pool of talent, particularly those who may not want to or cannot commit to a traditional 9-to-5 job, which is increasingly becoming a concern for employers. Nearly 80 percent of companies have stated that they believe they will be affected by talent scarcity in 2017.

Is the Move to Freelancing What Employees Really Want?

According to employers, the top reasons for hiring freelance workers were to meet project demands and find skills that were not readily available in-house—but what does this mean for employees?

Another recent study found that while many employees willingly move into contingent work, it is not necessarily their desired path. Financial reasons or inability to find full-time employer are usually a factor in becoming a freelance worker, among other reasons, including:

Lifestyle fit

More opportunity to gain skills

More money

While many individuals are hesitating to become freelance workers, employers have concerns as well. The biggest concerns among companies hiring part-time workers are the inability to develop relationships with existing teams and accountability.